Environmental Health Criteria 214

HUMAN EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT
The shellfish diets contained twice as much cadmium (22 µg/day)
as the mixed diets (10 µg/day). The high fibre diets were intermediate
(13 µg/day). The content in faeces were on the average 100%, 99% and
98% of intake in the shellfish group, the mixed diet group and the
fibre group, receptively, indicating a low average absorption of
dietary cadmium. Despite the differences in cadmium intake there were
no significant differences in blood cadmium (about 0.25 µg/litre) or
urine (0.1 µg/litre), indicating a lower absorption of cadmium in
shellfish and in high fibre foods compared to the mixed diet (low in
shellfish and cereals) or a difference in the kinetics. A higher
cadmium absorption in the mixed diet and the fibre diet group compared
to the shellfish group could partly be explained by lower body iron
stores (measured as serum ferritin). Low body iron stores in women of
reproductive age are very common. Serum ferritin levels were
negatively correlated with blood cadmium concentration, indicating an
increased absorption of cadmium at reduced body iron stores (defined
as serum ferritin below 30 µg/litre).
12.4.2 Exposure to furans, dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls
Dioxins, furans and PCBs are persistent compounds found in
industrial discharges and incinerator air emissions, and as trace
contaminants in many products. These compounds accumulate in fat and
undergo amplification in marine and terrestrial food chains. People
consuming large amounts of contaminated seafood may have higher
concentrations of organochlorine compounds in their tissues than the
general population.
For 35 years a magnesium-producing factory in the inner part of a
fjord in southern Norway had discharged 50-100 kg TCDD toxic
equivalents (TEQ) to the fjord area. PCDDs/Fs and PCBs were monitored
in sediments and marine organisms in 1986, 1989-1990 and 1992. In
spite of a reduction by >98% in the discharge from 1990 to 1992,
levels were still very high. Restrictions in commercial fishing and
advice to the general public regarding consumption were established.
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6/1/2007